Chihaya's proclamation leads to a showdown between Mashima Taichi and the transfer student Arata, who is being shunned by their class. The stubborn Taichi, who's upset by how close Chihaya and Arata have gotten, steals Arata's glasses in the middle of the tournament. Arata, good as he may be, is unable to take cards without his glasses. That is when Chihaya steps in to take his place.

The karuta club has become an official club. Chihaya announces that the five of them will make it to the national tournament. The beginners, Kana-chan and Desktomu-kun, are worried, but Chihaya shows no mercy. Chihaya is set on making a strong karuta team and aiming for the top. And so, they decided to hold a camp.

Chihaya finally gets to play her first Class A match, while the other members are looking to advance their rank through a strong tournament showing. Chihaya's opponent Kanai Sakura, who has 35 years of karuta experience. Chihaya is faster, but she has trouble taking cards. Her opponent constantly moves cards into positions that are difficult for her, and Chihaya soon realizes how tough Class A is. Will Chihaya be able to learn something from her match with Sakura?

The Mizusawa karuta club is watching the Queen match and Master match at Taichi's home. The Queen has put on a great deal of weight, which makes it difficult for her to move as Yumi successfully takes cards away from her. Will the Queen be dethroned?

The audience at the Yoshino Tournament is taken for a wild ride with so many unexpected twists: Arata, the focus of high expectations, has been defeated, and Taichi, who only just reached Class A, advances to the finals. And now it's time at last for the final round between Chihaya and Taichi, teammates who have been practicing together since they were in elementary school. The odds are in Chihaya's favor, but Taichi isn't playing his usual karuta since he declared that he would defeat her in an official match.

Arata wonders why he feels so relieved to learn that Taichi lost his match, even as dark memories of a similar feeling at the Yoshino Tournament come back to him, leaving him unable to concentrate fully on his match in the finals. His opponent, Murao, realizes that Arata isn't himself and sees an opportunity, but then...